Darkened Shores

by Silver Flare

19: Bright Eyes

There were hushed whispers coming from downstairs. They were the worst kind of whispers, the kind where someone wants to yell at someone else, but they wont. An argument.

The young foal opened her eyes and blinked them in the dim sliver of light leaking around her bedroom door. Her eyes didn't line up exactly, even after a couple of blinks. A sense of dread had crept over her, so she slipped out of her bed. She immediately stumbled over a discarded toy, spreading her tiny wings to try to maintain her balance. She held her breath, hoping her parents hadn't heard her.

The hissing voices continued without interruption, and the young foal made it to her bedroom door and peeked out. She didn't like being so clumsy. The other foals at school made fun of her for it, so she felt bad about herself sometimes. She didn't like to hear arguing either. It made her feel bad too. But she also felt consumed by a strong sense of curiosity. The argument sounded important.

The voices were louder in the hallway. Mom and Dad must have been in the kitchen. From the top of the stairs she could make out what they were saying.

". . . downright lazy! What kind of professional says something like that? If he wont teach our filly we can find another school!" That was Daddy.

"It's not that he wont, he just thinks she needs special attention. I mean, she's behind every one of her classmates! We knew this would be-"

Daddy interrupted Mommy. "She doesn't need special attention! She needs a teacher who'll shut up and do his job! He's just a useless, lazy earth pony! What, he wants us to hire a specialist?"

"Mr. Glen thinks it would be best for Ditzy Doo if we found somepony. . ."

"And where in the hay are we gonna find the bits for that?!? We've sunk so much into doctor visits and stupid psychiatric evaluations we're barely scraping by as is!"

"I know. . . I just, I'll find a second job. Shimmershine says there's an opening at the post office. . ."

There were loud gulps, like the sound of someone drinking. "And add 'foalsitter' to our long list of expenses? Huh? Is that your plan?"

"I really wish you wouldn't-"

"It's too late for that."

"It's never too late to quit drinking like this."

"It's too late to keep this bloody, gut-rotted apartment!!! We never made last month's rent. We've been evicted."

A gasp. "Haze. . . what do you mean, 'evicted'?"

"You're not stupid enough to ask me that."

"But. . . but we get thirty days, don't we? That's the law, right?"

Another long drink. "Yeah, except it came over two weeks ago."

". . . Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought, somehow, I'd figure something out. But I guess I couldn't."

"Oh blessed Celestia. . . We, um, we. . . w-we could stay with my sister-"

"And be a family of worthless parasites? I'd rather rot in a gutter!"

"Like feeling sorry for yourself is going to help anything! Think about your daughter!"

The sound of a bench scraping across the floor. "Oh, I do. I think about her all the time. I think about her when I wake up, and I think about her when I go to sleep at night. Do you want to know what I think? Hmmmm? I wonder what our life would have been like if she wasn't as slow and messed-up as she is."

"Please, just stop-"

"I also wonder why we couldn't have just left her in the Everfree at birth. Our lives would be so much easier, wouldn't they? The world wouldn't have even noticed the difference! Oh, don't start with the damn tears. . ."

Mom was crying. "I would care, you. . . you monster. . . you vicious, ignorant beast. . ."

"Oh shut up. You know I'm right. Don't wait up for me." The back door slammed open and shut again, leaving the sound of Mommy's crying all alone. The foal found that she was crying too. Her cheeks were wet and her insides felt all twisted up into horrible knots.

The foal turned and scampered back into her room. She threw herself underneath the covers, but she'd nudged the door on her way in, and it opened wide and hit the wall with a small thud. This sound was quickly followed by hoofsteps on the stairs. The tiny filly buried herself beneath the covers, trying to hide.

There was the sound of a sniffle at the doorway, and the light from the hallway was suddenly blocked by a soft silhouette. "Ditzy, baby?" The pile of blankets on the bed quivered and shook a little. "Oh, darling. . ."

A comforting weight settled beside her on the bed, and strong legs curled protectively around her. For a while, a mother simply held her child and whispered soothing words until the twisted knots in the filly's insides eased a bit.

The filly tried to speak, but all that came out was a sad mumble. "What was that, dear?"

The filly tried again. "I'm sorry, Mommy."

"Whatever for, sugar?"

"For. . . For. . . For. . . making. . . Daddy. . . leave. . ."

"No. . . Oh, no no, no no no sweetheart. Please don't, dear sweet blessed mother of the sun no. . ." For a moment, it seemed like Mommy was going to cry again. But she didn't. "Daddy and I had a fight, that's all. He's just tired and frustrated with money stuff. It's not your fault."

"But, but he said it was. I remember him saying so." It was true. She could remember most things that were said perfectly. The other foals at school called her 'tape recorder' sometimes. They weren't being nice when they did.

"Well, then remember me telling you how very, very special you are."

There was no response. But it didn't seem as though anything had changed for her foal. She was still shaking and crying softly.

"Okay. Okay, come with me Doo. Come on, follow me."

The mother grabbed the blanket off the bed with her teeth and trotted over to a pair of doors leading to the balcony. It was usually off-limits at night, but Mom unlatched the doors and stepped out into the brisk night. Her filly followed her. The air was just a little chilly, and the foal ruffled her feathers and shivered a bit to warm herself. That is, until her mother swept her up into the blanket and drew her in close for a firm hug. The foal's favorite kind.

"All right, my little gemstone." Mommy said. Mommy always had lots of different names for her. "I want you to look up into the sky, and I want you to pick out your favorite star. Can you do that for Mommy?"

The filly's dandelion-colored eyes tracked up into the sky, blinking at the dazzling map the stars provided. Mom watched her daughter's eyes slowly, beautifully come into focus, both of them pointing the same direction as a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "That one." She said, pointing.

Her mother followed her daughter's gaze skyward, trying in vain to pick out which star her daughter might mean. "Ah, that star is quite beautiful, fruit cup." She kept her eyes trained heavenward as she pulled her filly in closer. "I know that every parent thinks their foal is special. My own mother always told me I was very special, all the time. But, if every foal is special, then I figured that none of us could be. At least, that's what I thought."

Her mother sighed, and continued. "So, maybe we can write a letter to Princess Celestia, asking her not to bring out that one star again. Maybe she can banish it somewhere, so it wont shine down on us anymore."

"No!" Ditzy's voice sounded upset, and she pushed away from her mother enough to glare her hurt at her. "No, Mommy!"

Her mother only smiled. "Ah, you see? That star, one in millions twinkling beautifully above us, that one star is important to you. I would no more banish that star from the sky than I would ever let go of you, my beautiful filly." She pulled her daughter in close again, and her daughter let her. "You see, we are all as unique and special as a star in the sky, and the love we feel for each other, and for the world around us, that love is like the light that shines from every single star."

Her mother kissed the top of her daughter's head as she blinked a pair of tears free. "And this world would be a little darker and a little sadder without you in it. Do you understand me?" Her daughter nodded, her head buried in her mother's fur and mane. "Good. I want you to remember this forever and always, okay?" Another silent nod. "I love you so much, bright eyes."

"I love you too, Mommy."

Ditzy Doo emerged from the memory with a sigh and a quiet smile. It wasn't her favorite memory, not really. There was too much pain in it. It also wasn't her happiest memory to relive. But it was one of her most powerful. And her mother had asked her to never forget. So she didn't. That was also the night that she started to learn how to love herself, despite being so different from every other pony around her.

Ditzy gently swerved around some stray clouds. Their soft, fluffy surfaces looked inviting, but the pegasus ignored their call. She was on important mailmare business. She adjusted the large canvass bags slung across her flanks and checked yet again to make sure she hadn't dropped any of the parcels or letters in her charge. It wouldn't be the first time she'd dropped something by accident.

With everything in order, Ditzy turned her face back into the wind of her flight. With some effort her eyes focused on the horizon, and the looming shape of Canterlot mountain swam into view, with the gleaming spires of the city refracting the sunlight in every direction. A pair of waterfalls cascaded off of the city's edge, plunging thousands of pony-lengths into pure mist. Twin rainbows arced through that mist, as though every color in existence should be present for such majesty. It was a beautiful sight, and the mailmare never tired of looking at it.

Good. She thought to herself. I have time for one more memory. The grey pegasus sifted through her memories, looking for one of her favorites. Probably one involving her daughter. There were so many wonderful moments to choose from ever since her daughter was born. It seemed like every day was a new source of joy, and Ditzy Doo rarely forgot one.

But she couldn't settle on just one. And as the great city of Canterlot loomed closer and closer, she was filled with frustration. She wondered why she would feel that way. Was it because she had so many good memories that she couldn't choose which one to remember? No, that wasn't right. How could too many good memories make her feel badly? Was she frustrated that her job took her away from spending time with her filly? No, that wasn't right. Dinky Doo was in school now, and Ditzy had learned that school was different for her child than it had been for her. She did well in her studies, and the other students liked her. So did her teacher. Also, Ditzy couldn't be mad at her job. Her job was good.

So why was she feeling upset?

The pegasus shrugged, hoping it wasn't because she forgot something important. She spiraled down towards the castle, as it was always her first stop for Canterlot deliveries. The royal palace sent and received lots of mail. She descended towards the front gates, keeping a careful eye on them so that she didn't veer off course. However, her other eye caught sight of something at the edge of the statue garden below her. A small gathering of ponies clustered out in the morning sun.

There was a mint pony who was Lyra Heartstrings, and a pony that made her think of candy that was Bon Bon, and a pony that made her think of toothpaste that was Minuette but ponies called her Colgate because of her mane, and on old pony in robes like a teacher who she hadn't met, and a pink pony with wings and a horn who was Princess Cadance, and a white pony Ditzy remembered marrying the pink pony like a month ago who was Shining Armor, and Princess Luna.

Princess Luna? The mailmare thought, Oh, maybe I can just give the mail to her. Most ponies love to get mail. Maybe Princesses do too. She changed course and angled down into the garden. But then she noticed that the hushed voices sounded like arguing.

Ditzy Doo hesitated, concerned. She didn't like confrontations. They reminded her too much of bad things and bad feelings. But then, another memory came to her. The memory of a blue pegasus with a striking rainbow mane who had always been extra nice to her. Rainbow Dash had said, just before she left. . . You make sure everypony is being good. Can you do that for me? And she'd said Okay. So she took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and marched right up to the arguing ponies.

Prince Shining Armor gazed out into the distance. "We have to evacuate Canterlot. Get everypony as far from here as we can."

Luna swiftly contradicted him. "There is no time for such actions. This vile spirit may be freed within the day. We cannot risk the confusion of a mass exodus."

Shining glared angrily. "You'd rather this creep had more toys to play with? Discord has the power to murder ponies with a snap of his fingers! It's a wonder there weren't more casualties the last time he was freed!"

Luna managed a look brimming with belittling disdain. "Indeed, the Spirit of Chaos seeks not death. He learned the lesson in ages past that the dead are no fun to torment."

"All the more reason to get these civilians out of here as fast as possible!"

Princess Cadance placed a gentle hoof on Shining's chest. "Easy, dear heart." He glanced down at her hoof and seemed to notice for the first time how close he'd stepped into Luna's personal space. He took a quick step back, chagrined. She continued. "Besides, where would you have everypony go? Discord's reach is very far, I understand."

Lyra chimed in. "Yeah, he turned Ponyville into a circus last year."

Minuette rolled her eyes. "A circus would have been an improvement."

Lyra sighed, exasperated. "You know what I meant, Colgate."

"Of course! That's not what I. . . rrrgh, stop deliberately misunderstanding me!" She shook her head in frustration.

Bon Bon bowed a little in Cadance's direction. "Um, your highness, isn't your special talent something about spreading love? Why can't you stop Discord?"

Cadance shook her head. "Love is not the antithesis to chaos. I wish it was. If that were the case, I think Equestria might already be safe. But no, even those who love each other dearly still argue, still fight. Love must face disharmony just as every one of us must." She turned her head and flicked her ears towards the gray-maned pony across from her. "Perhaps Professor Lime Kiln has some ideas."

The old mare in Canterlot University robes wheezed, "Well, my team of students and I have been studying the harmonic resonance of various mana crystals. Perhaps, with the proper arrangement, we can bolster the fading strength of this stone and buy us some time until Celestia can return with the Elements."

"Mana crystals?" Shining Armor shouted, incredulous. "Against Discord!? We may as well try to confine a full-grown dragon with Legos!"

Luna ignored his outburst. "Retrieve anything which may assist us, Professor, yet I fear no help from the Elements will be forthcoming. Celestia has taken them far away."

Bon Bon glanced from Princess to Princess. "Why? I mean, why did she go away and leave us defenseless, your majesties?"

Cadance sighed. "I'm not sure. She never told me."

Luna blinked. "She moves to meet a threat in a distant land."

Bon stamped a hoof. "But why would she do that? We have grave dangers to face right here!"

"We assure you, little filly." Luna's tone was just a little harsh. "The force she moves against is a dire threat indeed. Perhaps more so than this, though it pains us to say so."

"Oh goddess, no. . . I can't take it. . ." Bon buried her face in Lyra's mane.

Minuette chaffed. "Oh toughen up, you wet sock."

Lyra's ears flattened out, and she threw an arm around her mare. "Watch it, Paste!"

"Um, ahem!" Kiln cleared her throat and waved a rickety hoof around. "We have lots of promising unicorn understudies on campus now. If we gathered them alongside the unicorns of the Royal Guard, perhaps we could give your 'useless Legos' some real juice. At least it would be doing something productive should antagonizing one another fail to produce results."

"That's crazy!" Shining's eyes were wide with fear. "The slightest waver in the power flow, and Discord will shatter it like glass."

Luna nodded her agreement. "The only reason the full power of the Elements of Harmony were proof against this devil is because they were capable of creating a spell without flaws. From within, there were no weak points for Discord to pry at."

"Em," Kiln chewed her bottom lip. "We could have the unicorns work in shifts?"

Cadance perked up and nudged her husband. "Hey, what about your defense spell? Do you think it could at least keep Discord from leaving Canterlot?"

Shining scoffed. "Not a chance. He'd just turn the whole thing to chutney, or something else edible and ridiculous. I can't contain something like him!"

"I wasn't attacking you. Don't get so defensive!"

"I wasn't being defensive dear, just rational."

"Oh, and I'm not being rational?"

Minuette slumped into a depressed sit. "So, the most powerful magic-users in Canterlot, and we have no ideas. Nothing at all that might work? That's just great!"

Bon Bon's eyes looked red, as though she'd been crying. "I vote we all get as far from here as possible."

"Haven't you heard any of this? It wont make a difference!" Lyra snapped and shoved her mare friend away with her hooves.

"Nothing anypony does will make a difference!" Bon seemed almost hysterical.

"So maybe we should all just throw ourselves off the mountain, huh?" Minuette shot back. "Is that your next great plan?"

"Maybe I will!" Bon yelled back.

Cadance tried to restrain the earth pony with her hooves. "Please, you can't do this!"

"Don't touch her!" Lyra screamed, and she drove a hoof across Cadance's face. The slender alicorn made no move to defend herself, and her head snapped to the side from the blow.

In an instant, Shining Armor had Lyra levitated in front of him encased in his lavender magic, and a vicious snarl ripped its way across his features. Cadance gasped, "Shining, don't!" Luna merely looked on, impassive.

There was a brief and terrible moment when Shining Armor glanced at his wife and noticed a tiny smudge of red on her golden hoof-shod. The one she held to her mouth. He twitched, and tendrils of darkness began to appear around the fringes of his magical aura. Hate crumpled his features, and Lyra gasped in pain as his spell began to bend her backwards.

Until a gray mare with a wall-eyed stare walked calmly into their midst and threw her hooves around Shining Armor in a genuinely affectionate hug. Everyone froze in place, and Shining's eyes went very wide. No one dared to draw breath as the moment stretched to two, then three, then five. The magic vanished, and Lyra dropped to the grass and lay still, panting. Shining Armor buried his face in his hooves, shaking like a leaf in a gale.

The tension in the atmosphere began to fray at the edges, and the air began to taste of early fall rather than the thick viscosity of panic. Bon Bon gathered Lyra up in her arms, looking like she might never let go again. Cadance did the same to her beloved, curling herself around Shining and whispering calm reassurances into his ear. Minuette just sat, stunned. Luna glared her sudden understanding across the green grass of the garden. "Dissonance. Machinations of a Trickster. Verily, we should have seen Discord's claw in all of this."

Ditzy turned in a slow circle. She wasn't glaring at everyone, not exactly. But her scrunched face conveyed sadness and, even worse, disappointment. She spoke in a high-pitched voice that cracked around the edges. "Rainbow Dash said to make sure her ponies were being good." She stamped a hoof in frustration. "So you have to be good, okay?" The tears in her golden eyes were like clouds blocking out the sun. "Now say you're sorry!"

Shining just looked like he wanted to sink into the ground, but he steeled himself to meet Lyra's gaze. "I am so, so sorry. There is no excuse. Not even Discord should be able to make me. . . Please, are you all right?"

Lyra nodded numbly. "I'm fine. Um, s-sorry I hit your wife."

Cadance smiled, though her smile was strained. "Of course we accept your apology." Shining Armor looked like an abashed foal at her side, but he nodded his agreement.

"We feel apologetic as well." Princess Luna stepped forward to stand before everyone. "We allowed even our ancient and disciplined emotions to be swayed. Further proof that Discord's origins predate my sister and I. Young mail mare, you have our gratitude for restoring our sense of harmony this day." With that, the Princess of the Night bent one knee and gracefully bowed before the simple pegasus.

Ditzy smiled, and it was both beautiful and genuine. "Good." She said. Then she hastily added, "Oh. You're welcome!"

Minuette startled the pegasus with a hug from the side. "Thanks, Derpy. It's a good thing you came by when you did."

A wave of murmured gratitude washed over Ditzy Doo, and the mare smiled at everyone in turn. Shining waited until it died down to speak. "Hey, is your name Ditzy or Derpy?"

Her face scrunched up in thought for a moment before another smile cleared away her concentration. "Yes." She said definitively.

Shining Armor chuckled. "Well, whoever you are, I owe you big time."

Ditzy's smile faded, and she poked him in the chest with a solemn hoof. "You have to be good, okay? For Dashie." Shining nodded, equally serious.

Then Ditzy spun around, lifted out a hoof-full of letters and a parcel, and set them down in front of Luna. "Mail!" She sang out, then she flew away. No one there at the time knew that she was filing this event away as a very good memory indeed.

"Harmony! Heh-hah! Of course!" Professor Lime Kiln startled everyone by capering about on her rickety legs. "Heh heh heh heee, you're right Princess! You're right!" She wound up on her two front hooves, staring Cadance in the eyes.

Cadance lit up with hope. "You've thought of something, haven't you? What is it? Please, tell us!"

Kiln sat back on her haunches. "Love is not antithetical to to chaos. Only harmony can withstand the effects of Discord. Therefore, it's the power of harmony we must harness."

Luna shook her head. "Were it only so simple. True harmony is not one solitary flow of energy, but a complex blend of separate elements, shifting yet in balance."

"And, uh," Lyra raised a hoof. "And the Elements of Harmony are out of reach. Isn't that the whole reason we're facing a crisis to begin with?"

Lime Kiln gestured around her. "I believe the city is feeling the strain of Discord's dissonance even now, yet the spirit of harmony remains. Doesn't it?"

Cadance quickly turned to Luna. "She's right. The effects of harmony still permeate Equestria. Can't we harness that somehow? Try to bolster it?"

Luna nodded solemnly. "Perhaps. Professor?"

"I will gather what crystals may be promising in the University courtyard. But we will need a wise strategy for their application."

"Okay, we'll come up with a plan." Cadance placed a hoof on the older earth pony's shoulder. "Go now, and hurry."

Lime Kiln turned away and stumbled. "Gah! Cursed Goddess-forsaken hip!"

Minuette rushed to her side. "Here, let me help you." She allowed the mare to lean upon her as they walked away together.

Shining Armor still looked skeptical. "Harmonic crystals wont generate anything that could contain Discord. He'll slip out of anything they generate in a heartbeat."

"Thouart correct," Luna looked as though she was thinking furiously. "However, should we use thy shield as a foundation, and then imbue this base with harmonic elements sustained by unicorn magic and channeled through the proper mana crystals. . ."

Shining's features turned thoughtful, and his ears perked up. "That. . . that might help a little. Hey, it might even work! For a little while, at least."

Cadance's voice was heavy with concern. "So, maybe an evacuation is in order. If there's even a chance that we can contain Discord here, then we need to get as many innocent civilians to safety as we can."

"Agreed." Luna squared her shoulders. "Shining Armor, order every contingent of earth ponies within the royal guard to assist in moving supplies for the evacuation, and prep every unicorn guard for battle. Full armor and armament. Brief them on every trick we know Discord has, and have them report to the University courtyard."

"Of course, Princess." Shining saluted crisply.

"Princess Cadance, gather the pegasi guards and have them spread the word and assist the populace. They must encourage every citizen who will hear them to hold harmony in their hearts if we are to stand a chance of weathering this catastrophe. Further, have the pegasi recruit any unicorn of talent who wishes to serve Equestria in its time of need and instruct them to report to the University as well. We will need all the power we can muster."

"I will." Cadance said, hope strengthening her voice.

Luna continued. "In the meantime, we shall consult the Solar Archives. Perhaps Twilight's reports can shed more light upon the nature of harmony and how we might best harness its might."

"W-what can I do?" Lyra meekly asked. A gentle breeze caught and played with Lyra's mane a little, and she brushed it out of her face.

Bon Bon moved to stand between her and everyone else. "We can evacuate with all of the others." She said, worried.

"No." Lyra told her gently. "I'd like to help. This. . . creature crawled inside my brain and encouraged me to hurt my closest friends. I need to do something. Or else I'm just going to lose what little sanity I have left."

"Fair enough, Lyra." Shining Armor indicated the gates leaving the garden. "We might need all the help we can get. Find the professor and your friend, maybe they could use a hoof setting up their crystals." Lyra nodded. He continued, "But before that, my dear, see if you can find us twenty-thousand gallons of almond butter ganache and a large truck filled with small rubber ducks and bring them here."

Lyra's ears perked in surprise. "What?" Shining Armor shook his head, as though he heard an annoying buzz in his ears.

"Stop it, Discord!" Cadance hissed, stepping around her husband and taking a defensive stance, eyeing her surroundings suspiciously. "Leave him alone!"

"Wait," Shining looked confused. "What did I say?"

A hollow laugh slid through the air, distant and tinged with scorn. Although everyone heard it, not one of them heard it with their ears. "Oh Missus Mi Shiny Armor-Armoire-Credenza, you are exactly as stuffy as an alicorn should be. When do you ever lighten up and have fun?"

"Chess is fun," Cadance answered out loud, "Curling is fun. The misery you peddle is only fun for you."

The disembodied voice yawned. "Rules, rules and more rules. Your games are as boring and predictable as the laws of physics, my dear. And what true fun is it following the rules of either? But worry not, for I intend to teach you all about the fun you could be having. Very soon."

Cadance looked as though she had an angry retort ready, but Luna tilted Cadance's gaze towards her with a hoof. "Offer him not thy words, for they shall simply become as daggers in his arsenal, sharpened especially for thee."

"Spoken like true royalty, my Princess." Discord sneered the word. "Altogether prudent and pointless. You know, I'm actually rather curious about this harmonic shield you're all so keen to try out. But you may wish to keep your precious mana crystals outside of the shield and out of my reach if you expect it to work."

"We're not going to make this easy, Discord!" Shining added. "We're going to put up a fight like you wouldn't believe."

"I'd be disappointed if you didn't, Captain Shiny-pants. But really, put up all the fight you like. Your greatest leaders and champions are simply determined to get themselves killed on the other side of the world. So, that pretty much means it's game over, doesn't it, oh last defenders of harmony?"

Confident laughter coiled softly through the cluster of ponies as they glanced worriedly at one another.

Comments

[Lelouch Vi Britania]

Wasn't Luna with celestia and the elements?

[RisingComet]

Um... Luna is not supossed to be here, she is supposed to be away. Hundreds of miles away. With Celestia. On an island. In the ocean. Away.

[Tyler799]

3019258

This is a flashback to before she left.

[Tyler799]

2338806
This is a flashback to before she left.

[Silver Flare]

4210826 No, it's not a flashback. Not even a little bit. The fact that Luna is still in Canterlot is. . . well, it's true. It's not a good thing, but. . . well. . .

So glad you're enjoying the story. Yes, it's finished, It's only incomplete in so far as I'm editing. First couple chapters need a rewrite anyhow.